McAuley will follow guidance from Gregg
BEFORE the 2003 Irish Cup final between his Coleraine team and Michael O’Neill’s Glentoran, Gareth McAuley received some advice from the legendary Harry Gregg that has stayed with him throughout his career.
It’s something McAuley will keep in the forefront of his mind when he steps out at the Stade de Nice this evening to face Poland and Robert Lewandowski. ‘Just play your game, forget the occasion,’ said Gregg, the former Manchester United goalkeeper and a member of Northern Ireland’s 1958 World Cup side.
‘Harry’s advice is something that has stuck with me,’ recalls McAuley. ‘If we get carried away, we’ll lose focus and that will be a weakness.’ Today’s Group C opener on the French Riviera sees Northern Ireland make history by appearing in the European Championship finals for the first time.
McAuley, the 36-year-old West Brom centre-back, will play his game and not, as O’Neill has drummed into his players, become ‘obsessed’ with Bayern Munich star Lewandowski. ‘There’s all the talk about Robert and how good he is, and rightly so, but it is bit disrespectful to the other strengths Poland possess,’ say McAuley, a former window draughtsman who came up the hard way through England’s lower divisions.
‘If you focus on one player too much they have other players who can hurt us.’
For captain Steven Davis, the emotion will centre on
memories of his mother Laura who passed away eight years ago. ‘I’ll be thinking about my mum,’ said the Southampton midfielder. ‘I know she would be very proud of me leading the team into a major tournament.
‘She was my biggest fan in the stands, a huge influence on my career and my life, and it will be lovely to think she’s looking down on me.’